Spurs joining the Big Four? Easy, we are a top three club, says Huddlestone

27 August 2009 12:21

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Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool may be surprised to hear this, but Tom Huddlestone believes Tottenham Hotspur are not so much a top four club, more like one of the top three.
The in-form midfielder, who scored in Spurs' 5-1 thrashing of Doncaster in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night, said: 'Man for man we've proved we've got one of the top three squads.'
A year ago Spurs were bottom of the Barclays Premier League which saw Juande Ramos replaced by Harry Redknapp in November.
Tom Huddlestone after scoring against Doncaster on Wednesday
Top form: Tom Huddlestone after scoring against Doncaster on Wednesday
Victory over Birmingham City on Saturday could see Spurs end August top of the Barclays Premier League and the England Under 21 international thinks missing out on the Europa League will help them domestically.
He said: 'It's about finding the consistency and not resting on our laurels, we've got to kick on now. Playing just one game a week and not playing in Europe will help because that's how it was when we finished fifth. I think not being in Europe will benefit us in the long run.
'You can't read too much into it after two or three games. When you're seven or eight games into the season you can look at the table properly.'
Players such as (L to R) Luka Modric, Robbie Keane, Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon give Spurs a squad to rival the best in the Premier League
Strength in depth: Players such as (L to R) Luka Modric, Robbie Keane, Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon give Spurs a squad to rival the best
Huddlestone believes having Redknapp in charge pre-season has been an enormous help for Spurs this time round.
He said: 'The manager coming half-way through last season wasn't the best situation. This year he had the whole of pre-season to get us playing the way he wants. He has worked a lot on team shape for the last three games.
'Under the old regime nobody would have any idea what the team was going to be until 20 minutes before you went out to warm up. You need to work on set pieces in training to work them into the game.
'He has changed the way he wants us to play. He wants us pressing higher up the field which suits us with the players we have if we can nick the ball going forward on the counter-attack.'